LA sheriff's office has 4,700 untested rape kits

LOS ANGELES 
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has a backlog of more than 4,700 untested evidence kits from rape cases.

Sheriff's Cmdr. Earl Shields on Tuesday told the county Board of Supervisors that his department will first analyze the kits that have been in storage the longest. Kits that have not been examined within 10 years can't be used to prosecute suspects due to the statute of limitations.

The board had asked the sheriff's office for a report on the crime lab backlogs after discovering the Los Angeles Police Department has about 7,000 unopened rape kits.

Shields told the board last month that the sheriff's office was storing more than 5,600 kits, but at the time he did not know how many needed testing.

On Tuesday Shields predicted the survey of untested kits would be completed by next month.